Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry a sprinkle of rain or usher a ghastly storm, but simply to add a rainbow of colors to my sunset sky… A dream which I’ve always nurtured in my heart and pictured in my mind is consequently materializing: a dream to serve our cultivating nation, to enhance the quality of life, to relieve, soothe and alleviate the suffering of our fellow human beings and ultimately, to contribute to the success of our generation as well as the generations to come…. a dream of becoming a DOCTOR, for which the magnanimous People’s Republic of China has given me the key to unlock by granting me a phenomenal opportunity to study in their country.

CHINA: the graceful landscape of the iconic prominent dragon; a country whose soil is bountifully embedded in prosperous culture and ancient tradition. From the imperial treasures and archetypal Chinese gardens in Beijing to the cosmopolitan streets and magnificent, polychromatic skyscrapers in Shanghai— China seems to be a scintillating fusion of modern meets ancient.

Residing as an international medical student in such a wonderful abode compels me not only to study with utmost dedication, but also to step into a new horizon and explore the spectacular traditional Chinese culture. Living in China, I relish famous Chinese delicacies like Sweet and Sour Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu, dumplings, Spring Rolls, Chow Mein and Peking Duck. Also, visiting historical venues like the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Baotu Spring Park, the Quancheng Square, and the Qianfoshan (Thousand-Buddha Mountain) provides one with a fascinating insight on the heritage of China.

My favorite form of exploration is simply engaging in a mandarin conversation with the Chinese, thus bringing about a momentous improvement in my ability to converse in mandarin. Listening to tales on the riveting Chinese lifestyles is no less than an educational tour: they are so dedicated, punctual and focused—they take everything in their stride with a smile, and no task seems to be impossible for an inhabitant of China!!! There is so much to grasp from the Chinese and being surrounded by such positive mindsets is sure to have a positive influence on my mindset too. The Chinese friends’ good-heartedness is clearly reflected in the form of their actions. No one’s pleas fall on deaf ears in the presence of a Chinese because they are always there to be that pillar of strength and lend a helping hand. I guess it’s the warmth of the people that acts as a blanket and actually protects me from frosty desolation and a parade of glacial, melancholic thoughts.

What I really like about China is that it doesn’t restrict us to mingling with the Chinese only— living as a foreign medical student in dormitory provides us with the exposure to other foreigners too! We are granted yet another opportunity to learn about the intriguing cultures, enchanting values and mouthwatering cuisines of people from furthermost regions like India, Nepal, Pakistan, Ghana, Australia and South America. We all come from different walks of life, but living in the very same dormitory has formed a chain of attachment for all of us, almost as if the dormitory is our home and all its inhabitants are members of our family—that’s how strong the string of attachment has become! If someone is in trouble, we all stand united to help the person. We host spicy kitchen discussions whilst cooking and doing our pile of dishes. Significant conferences in our attenuated corridor, confabulating about our daily lives and inventing profitable study strategies are everyday episodes in our dormitory. We even have a reel of scary, spine-tingling horror movie nights in which we all become gigantic, automatic popcorn-consuming machines!!! Laugh out loud!!!

On special occasions like birthdays, we would all get together and have a midnight pajama party in which you would only hear the effervescent laughter of vivacious girls. Celebrations didn’t just end on birthdays though. We may be away from home but our tradition, culture and values remain unflinchingly intact. With a tenacious willpower and a vigorous support system, we were able to host magnificent celebrations for two of our much loved festivals that we never fail to celebrate back at home, being Diwali and Christmas. Well, of course with the enthusiasm that we portrayed and displayed, success of the celebrations was inevitable! Not only do we pay homage to our own heritage but while staying in China we’ve learnt to embrace Chinese culture too. Many of the international students baked in exhilaration and celebrated the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival merrily by tasting scrumptious moon cakes and sipping tea the entire day.

As international medical students, our fun didn’t just end on dormitory though. Cracking hilarious jokes during many lectures, playing games, laughing outrageously when rehearsing mandarin dialogues, and resorting to McDonalds and Pizza Hut to fill those uproarious, ravenous, peckish bellies were the most common scenes enacted by the international medical students. However, with all that elation, anticipation and eagerness in the atmosphere, attending lectures and studying with commitment, diligence, perseverance and persistence was still a priority that never came close to being neglected!!!We often participated in group dissections and experiments where we became each other’s support system, and we always worked together to bring out the best results on many occasions. Working as a group spread knowledge like wild fire and stirred unity among the students, as well as built stronger interrelationships amongst peers.

Studying in China has indeed taught me so many essential life lessons in such a limited period of time! Grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, doing the dishes, laundry, attending lectures, doing homework, as well as studying…that’s the life of an international medical student in China— a life which I love living as it gives me an identity and provides me with a sense of achievement— a feeling of pride!

Living in China has magnificently transformed me from a little, naïve girl who only knew how to study into an independent, young lady who can multitask and emerge scot-free from just about any situation you place her in. We all have goals but not many people accomplish those goals in their lifetime because they simply lack discipline. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment and living away from home surely has taught me discipline from which I’ve acquired independence—the most important component in a freshly molded adult’s life.

I came to study in China with a dream of adorning the white coat profession but thus far, I’ve gained much more than just medical knowledge— it’s been a journey of self exploration and an invigorating excursion of self-upliftment. Studying medicine is my ultimate dream but the life I’m living now whilst studying as an international medical student in China is a life that I could have never possibly dreamt of living. I just want to embrace every moment of this beautiful experience and capture it in my heart forever. This has been the most fascinating chapter of my life and the entire credit goes to my loving parents for affording me the key to unlock my dream of becoming a DOCTOR!!!

Written by Thejal (Zeya) Singh, a 2nd year international medical student studying in School of Medicine, Shandong University

Source: School of Medicine